Summary
A reader from Northern Ireland asks for help with prickly heat. 'For the past 15 years - I'm 54 - I've been troubled by prickly heat in warm weather, especially when it's humid. I've just had my first outbreak this year, lots of tiny blisters which can grow to several millimetres, then form scabs. In the past, they've appeared on my shins, feet, armpits, upper arms and the back of my hands and fingers, in places both exposed and not exposed to the sun. An outbreak can last five days or more, and takes about two weeks to heal.' According to NHS Direct, prickly heat is an itchy red rash that often causes a stinging or prickly sensation. It can occur anywhere on your body, but most commonly on areas covered by clothing. It usually appears when you perspire excessively, so is most likely to affect people who are overweight, sweat easily, or are in a hot, humid climate. Babies and children are more prone to it because their sweat glands are not fully developed.
It's caused by dead skin and bacteria that live on the skin's surface collecting and blocking the sweat glands, trapping the sweat in tiny swollen pockets or blisters. The blocked sweat then tends to seep into the nearby tissue, irritating the skin and causing rashes. Although it's generally a summer problem, prickly heat can be a problem in the winter, too, usually because people pile on clothes and then perspire. Another cause is a photochemical reaction to UV rays hitting the skin, which can result in the production of compounds in the bloodstream that cause inflammation of the skin.See the full content of this document
Extract
; Health Notes
My reader wonders whether a food intolerance could cause it, but although food intolerance (or allergy) ...
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